The Gift
by Marios
Summary: What would the outcome of the climatic battle between Buffy and Glory be if Faith had returned to Sunnydale?


Disclaimer: I am not apart of the WB/UPN nor am I a affliate of Mutant Enemy. These characters belong to Joss Whedon and Co. - this is simply a fanfiction.  
  
Unbeknownst to her she was their guide, their only hope. Captivated by the call of the Beast she was drawn to the enemy's stronghold, where her service was needed. Recently the victim of Glory's magnificent ability to strip a mortal of all sense, memory and direction, Tara was mentally unstable but also, the only chance Buffy had at stopping Glory before her plan to simply 'get home' was enacted, thereby unleashing hell on Earth.  
  
Tara entered the construction site, immediately she went for a mound of bricks and proceeded to apply the stone to a network of unfinished material. The Beast appeared in all her splendiferous glory, she parted the crowd of insane individuals and with her minions in tow, created a wake of fear.  
  
Her eyes locked with Tara's, instantly she recognized the young woman as the witch who she had mistaken for the key, moreover, she recognized her as a friend of The Slayer.  
  
She approached her, spinning her round and holding her in place.  
  
"You. What are you doing here?" she questioned, knowing something was awry.  
  
"She's with me." A voice answered, stern and fearless.  
  
Glory turned, furious and locked eyes with any of the Slayer's allies. The powerful Wiccan Willow.  
  
Willow plunged her fingertips into Glory's temples, wedging her way into the recesses of the Hell God's brain. She withdrew from her the essence she stole from Tara and after plunging her digits into her lovers brain, returned what was taken from her.  
  
A triumvirate of pain was divided amongst the three, in brilliant flash of light each of the women were thrown in opposite directions, slamming into the scaffolding and conduits of metal and wire.  
  
Glory was the first to arise, obviously weakened.  
  
"What the frickin' hell did that bitch do to me?" she massaged her temples, confused.  
  
Her minion ran to her aid "You look fine, truly!"  
  
Glory saw through his groveling "She made a hole. I need a brain to eat."  
  
She walked in circles, her minions encompassing her. "Oh take mine oh groove-tastic one!" one of them cried out, willing to give his life for her cause.  
  
"I said a brain you worthless dirt!" She exclaimed knowing his brain matter would not suffice. "Big day, I got places to be, big day. Need a brain." She stopped, laughing to herself, overlooking the pain.  
  
"I suppose I could always use yours." She said, staring ahead at someone blocking the entrance to the construction site.  
  
"Well then." A female voice called back without hesitation. "Come and get it."  
  
The woman opposing Glory's position was Faith, the rogue slayer, recently escaped from prison. Glory eyed her with odd curiosity, looking her up and down she could only reply with.  
  
"Wait. Who the HELL are you?"  
  
"Don't worry about that, I didn't exactly come here to exchange pleasantries." Faith stepped forward, still only a few yards from Glory.  
  
"Oh wait. I know. Another friend of the slayer, if you think this little show is going to stop me for just one second."  
  
"Please, friend of the slayer? I AM the slayer." Faith was stern but Glory, only knowing the simplest of the Slayer Rules, took this as a lie.  
  
"Lies. There can be only one, unless." She grew a wide smile "She dies. Oh get the hell out of here! The knights of Byzantium finally did something right!"  
  
"Wrong Super Bitch." Faith replied.  
  
"What did you call me?" Glory was quickly growing enraged, she removed her robe and flexed, trying to shake off the effects of Willow's spell.  
  
"Super-Bitch" Faith repeated, annunciating every word syllable by syllable. "Thought you'd have super hearing along with super strength. Just like Buffy, pass the looks and the wardrobe, you're an idiot."  
  
"I'm so going to kick your-- " and then she stopped, Glory stood there, her mouth moving but words were not coming out.  
  
"Hey! Stuttering Stanley, I'm talking to you." Noticing Glory was in real distress "You don't look so well?"  
  
"Your little witch-bitch. Gave me kind of a headache there."  
  
"I notice your talking when if I was in your position I'd start with the decapitating. Unless your scared."  
  
It hit Glory, the sudden realization that this new 'slayer' was keeping her from her present goal. She turned to her minions "Go guard the girl, she's trying something."  
  
The minions ran off and gathered the insane workers to make a crowd in front of the staircase leading to the tower. They took point at the top, keeping a watchful eye over the perimeter.  
  
"I heard you were giving my friends all sorts of trouble, figured you'd be a challenge you know, a big evil. So where's the super-god like powers?"  
  
"That witch." Glory pointed in a direction, missing Willow entirely.  
  
"It's not her. It's this." Faith brought up from behind her back the fable Dagons Sphere, she rolled in her palm, playfully tossing it up and down. "It's suppose to repel you, you know, make you twitch. Give you those cramps that a girl just hates."  
  
Glory for the first time in her life, expressed fear.  
  
"Say, are you in the mood for a little catch?" Faith tossed the sphere at Glory who in turn clapped the ball in her palms, smashing it into oblivion.  
  
"You little whore!" Glory called out but was cut off was Faith pressed the attack, running forward and spinning into full out hook kick. Glory stumbled back totally caught off guard.  
  
Faith followed through with several punches and uppercuts, knocking Glory further into the site.  
  
"Stand strong and do not fall. This will be our day of Glory!" one of the minions yelled, trying to instill courage into his comrades.  
  
Willow rose from the rubble, eyes clouded with darkness. "NOW!" was the signal for attack. Giles, Spike, and Anya rushed into the construction site wielding a sword, axe and a baseball bat.  
  
The minions crawled from the shadows, hidden, ready to attack if such a moment presented itself. Giles twirled his sword, the minion ducked and spun around; he let out a painful cry as Giles cleaved a gapping wound into his back.  
  
Spike took on two minions, kicking on in the stomach, ducking kick to the head. He hacked a gash into the minion's chest, decapitating the next minion as he tried to escape.  
  
The insane followers saw Willow as an intruder and rushed to attack. Raising up a palm she used her telekinetic powers to force them back, each flying back with a terrified scream. There was a clamber overhead and Willow looked up. Like some twisted spider a minion crawled around, coming down on her.  
  
"Ignite." Willow muttered and the minion burst into a ball of flames.  
  
Anya swung, cracking open a minions skull as he ran at her. "Oh Glory this is disgusting!" she cried.  
  
Faith ducked a punch, grabbing Glory's arm she flipped on her onto a stack of bricks. She swung a punch, missing by a few inches shattering a row of bricks. She swung again but was caught off guard as Glory grabbed her arms and tossed her over her head and into a pile of broken wood.  
  
Glory quickly climbed up and ran to the fallen slayer. Faith flipped up, grabbing up a pickaxe as she did, she twirled it around and slammed the point into the side of Glory's skull. The metal simply flattening against her temple.  
  
Faith dropped her weapon seeing it to be useless.  
  
"You know what. I'm feeling a little better." Glory stopped Faith as she tried to sneak a punch. "And I'm feeling a little bored."  
  
Faith snatched her hand away, diverting her attention from Glory to a figure rising behind her. "Bored huh? You think we can do something about that B?"  
  
Glory followed Faith's steely gaze - "You know what. I think we can." Hearing this familiar voice she spun around.  
  
There stood Buffy wielding Olaf's hammer, ready for combat.  
  
"Wait, your suppose to be dead?"  
  
Swinging the hammer violently Buffy hit Glory in the face, sending her flying over Faith and into a metal ring gate behind her.  
  
"Glory, your not the brightest God in the Heaven's are you." Buffy said sternly. She went over to Faith and helped her up.  
  
"You did good." She commented.  
  
"You can tell me later, right now we have to find Dawn."  
  
"BUFFY!!!" a voice cried out from above. Buffy stared to the top of the tower, eyes fixed on a figure above.  
  
"Dawn." Buffy said softly to herself, knowing there was still hope. "I'll go up, you watch over them down here."  
  
"You got it B." Faith watched as Buffy took off up the stairs "Buffy!" she called out at the last moment. "Good luck."  
  
Buffy had no time to waste, she ran up the stairs as quickly as she could. Faith ran off, joining the group in the fight below.  
  
For several stories, Buffy made her way to the top without an opponent, then upahead, Glory appeared, climbing from out the interlocking rings of metal. She swung a punch which Buffy instinctively ducked, she quickly stood up and took a swing with the hammer. Glory was taken back by the blow, she grabbed onto a pipe to keep her balance, as Buffy ran past she back-kicked and hit Buffy in the back. The slayer stumbled forward giving Glory enough time to run behind her, Buffy turned around and quickly took another swing with the hammer.  
  
Hitting Glory in the stomach and chin she knocked the Hell God back a few steps, Glory dealt Buffy a uppercut forcing her to lose her grip on the hammer. Buffy watched in dismay as the only weapon besides the Dagon's sphere that could defeat Glory flew off the tower.  
  
Glory ripped a chain from the ceiling and utilizing it like a rope, she jumped and swung around to Buffy, kicking her square in the jaw. Buffy rolled down a slope but quickly climbed to her feet, Glory was already over her and swung a punch knocking Buffy off the tower. Buffy grabbed a overhead pipe and swung around, kicking Glory in the chest.  
  
Glory swung another punch, Buffy evaded and ran behind her, kicking her in the back. Seeing a fallen wire, Buffy grabbed it and used it as a rope, climbing for the top. Glory would not be beaten, she turned around and punched Buffy in the stomach causing Buffy to twirl round and kick her in the cheek.  
  
It was a fight, a fluid, balletic spectacle that seemed to last forever. Dawn called out from above for Buffy to hurry, that there wasn't much time left. In the end Buffy and Glory fell off the tower to the battle below. Arming herself with the hammer again Buffy pressed the attack. Faith joined in holding a sledge hammer in her hands, she worked with Buffy in a tag team method, forcing Glory to plead for mercy.  
  
"Stop. Please." Glory begged, blood pouring out of her ear and out the corner of her mouth and eyes.  
  
"One question. why?" Faith joked, swinging the hammer and bashing Glory's nose in.  
  
"You can't kill me." Glory sneered, in complete pain.  
  
"Really? Well then we'll just have to settle for beating you to a bloody pulp." Buffy replied, unnerved.  
  
"You can't understand my pain." Glory moaned, coughing up bloody as she did.  
  
"I'll just have to settle for causing it." Buffy remarked, uppercutting Glory with the hammer, sending her flying onto a metal grate.  
  
Exchanging blows, Buffy and Faith beat Glory until finally she was forced to revert to her alter ego. Ben. Faith prepared to deal the final blow when Buffy stopped her, holding her back.  
  
"You can't."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"It's Ben."  
  
Faith sighed. "He's also Glory."  
  
"He shouldn't be punished for her sins. He's not responsible."  
  
"He's just as responsible as she is."  
  
Buffy muttered "But it's murder."  
  
Faith quickly replied, "We're not having this discussion again, I'm over it you should be too. This is a completely different situation; this is apocalypse bad not mayor's henchman bad. Ben needs to die and until you realize that this world will forever be in danger."  
  
Buffy looked from Ben's writhing body back to Faith, unable to make a decision. Just then, a droplet of blood hit her on the cheek. She stared upward, noticing that Dawn was no longer alone on her podium.  
  
Faith was the first to speak "There's someone up there."  
  
"Dawn." without another word Buffy dropped the hammer and ran back up the tower.  
  
Alone with Ben Faith resisted temptation and fled the scene.  
  
Buffy snaked her way up the tower, focused on getting to the top. When she finally made it, she's dismayed to see Dawn is not alone. The Doc stood in front of her, a bloodied knife in his hand.  
  
"It's too late Buffy." Dawn sobbed, watching as the blood flowed out of her dress, dripping into a collective ball beneath the tower peninsula. The Doc walked forward, intent on killing the slayer himself.  
  
"This should be interesting." Buffy snatched the knife from his hand, lopping off his head with his own weapon.  
  
She ripped the chains which held Dawn down and walked her to the staircase, as she did she covered her eyes under the blinding blue light which came from the portal opening beneath them.  
  
"Buffy, it's started." Dawn cried. Buffy took in the harsh realization that she was too late, even after all the planning and decision making, Glory had still beat her. Dawn prepared to take the leap and kill herself, just for the sake of the world. A hand grabbed hers and stopped her, but it wasn't Buffy's, it was Faith's.  
  
"No." both Buffy and Dawn looked to Faith with odd fascination.  
  
"You can't." Dawn cried "It won't work."  
  
"Yes. It will." Faith stepped forward, joining hands with Buffy and Dawn. "It's my gift."  
  
Buffy froze, and then she remembered. Her dream.  
  
The first slayer danced behind the flames of the fire. "Death is your gift." Her indecipherable code, never understood until now.  
  
"It's the blood. Right?" Faith asked, tears brimming up in her eyes. "The blood we share."  
  
Then Buffy remembered the monk's last words.  
  
"We made her. From you."  
  
Overlapping was Faith's haunting melody "We're Slayer's B, the chosen two."  
  
"It's the thing we share B- I mean Buffy. The same blood, all of us, from the first, from you, to me." Faith was beginning to choke up, she stopped herself and then spoke again. "Listen to me, before I go, and don't try to stop me because this is what I have to do."  
  
There were no words, just a silent ambience as Faith gave Buffy and Dawn her last Will and Testament. When it was over she turned and ran down the catwalk, she didn't just dive off, no, she cartwheeled, back flipped and somersaulted off the edge.  
  
It was a elegant end, one fitting for such a horrible life.  
  
"You know I don't have much of a family or many friends, I don't have any at all. There's no finally speech for me, no one to say goodbye too. You guys, you were all I had. I want to say thank you, for everything. Even though I betrayed you, even though when you gave me the chance to turn around and do right I stabbed you in the back, I want to say thank you. All I want is forgiveness, from you. From God. All I want is forgiveness. So please, forgive me. I'm sorry. I truly am."  
  
As the vortex sent currents of electricity surging throughout Faith's body, she closed her eyes and accepted death as it came over her.  
  
In those final moments, Willow found Ben's bloodied and beaten body and stood over him. Ignite, she said and with a wave of her hand she set his body ablaze.  
  
When the portal closed and Faith's body fell from the sky the group congregated at her side. Each shedding a tear, for in the last moments of her life, Faith finally found the peace she so deserved.  
  
FAITH  
  
??? - 2001  
  
"Even in death, We're sure she's still 5 by 5." 


End file.
